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Illinois Public Media

Report: Douglas County Healthiest Illinois Community

Douglas County has ranked at the top of a list of Illinois’ healthiest communities, according to new annual report from the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The rankings look at things like access to dental care, obesity, unemployment, and criminal activity.

The Population Health Institute’s Angela Russell said Douglas County can serve as a model for many other communities that are struggling to maintain healthy environments.

“Their premature death rate is quite low," Russell said. "Their rate of babies being born less than five pounds eight ounces is low compared to the rest of the state. They’re doing well as it relates to some social economic factors including high school graduation, and the community is safe. They’ve got a really low crime rate.”

But Russell said Douglas County could improve access to primary care physicians and dentists.

Out of all 102 Illinois counties listed in the report, Champaign came at number 23, DeWitt came in at 59, and Vermilion was at the bottom of the list at 96.

Here's a look at how the counties rank, from healthiest to least healthy: